Head rest



HEAD REST F. THIEL 3,305,201

Filed June 28, 1965 25 /5 /fl b 25 /4/ 5; 25

INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,305,201 HEAD REST Frideric Thiel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Hans Gehriger, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed June 28, 1965, Ser. No. 467,342 Claims. (Cl. 248-118) The present invention relates to an inexpensive and foldable, low-level head and face sunshielding assembly for use on beaches and the like, a particular purpose being to provide an assembly of the character herewithin described with the aid of which the user may lie supine with his or her head elevated only slightly above the level upon which the rest of the body is lying, and whereby at the same time the head and face alone may be comfortably shielded from the suns glare while other parts of the body remain exposed, the sunshielding element of the assembly being adjustable according to movements of the suns position.

A further object is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is so constructed and arranged that the triangular and flexible headrest thereof will operate to form, with the supporters of the frame, a toggle which will have the effect of maintaining all three edges of the triangular headrest in tension, while, additionally, maintaining the supporters in rigid angular relationship so that they will not collapse together. As a result the assembly or device may be moved from place to place or adjusted for greater comfort without fear of such collapse which would otherwise be a considerable liability having regard to undulations and unevennesses on beaches and like places.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device or assembly of the character herewithin described in which the parts are so constructed and arranged that the sunshield may be attached either peripherally for swinging about one point upon its edge according to movement of the suns position, or, alternatively, may be attached centrally and sufficiently rigidly as to constitute a table surface on which lightweight objects may be supported, as for example, drinks, small beach accessories, light books such as paperbacks and the like.

With the foregoing in view, and all those objects, purposes or advantages which may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of the inventive concept embodied in the method, process, construction, arrangement of parts, or new use of the same, as herein particularly exemplified in one or more specific embodiments of such concept, reference being bad to the accompanying figures in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective representation of a preferred configuration of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary representation of a portion of the midsection of one of the skeletal supporters as manufactured of plastic and showing one of the means by which the headrest is secured thereto.

FIGURE 3 is a detail on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective detail depicting a typical representation of the lower hinges uniting the basal sections of the supporters.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a detail in elevation of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a representation of the modification of FIGURE 1 as the same would appear in use.

FIGURE 8 is a schematic representation of the manner in which the triangular headrest forms a toggle with the three supporters to hold the edges of the headrest taut, and the said supporters in rigid, spaced, angular relationship.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective representation of an alternative embodiment of the present invention as manufactured in wire rather than plastic and showing the sunshield apically attached to the frame at a point upon its periphery.

FIGURE 10 is a view substantially similar to FIGURE 9 but depicting the sunshield centrally attached so as to function as a table.

In the drawings, like characters of reference designate similar parts in the several figures.

The present invention in the preferred modification thereof as depicted in FIGURES 1 through 8 and particularly when manufactured of plastic with the supporters of the cross-sectional configuration depicted in the accompanying FIGURES 2 and 3, comprises a frame generally designated 10, a headrest generally designated 11, and a sunshield generally designated 12.

The frame 10 comprises three skeletal supporters collectively designated 13. In detail these supporters comprise a rising midsection 14, an axially directed or overarching apical section 15, and a basal section 16 which is substantially acutely angled at the locus 17 toward the axis 18.

The three sections aforesaid of the .supporters are unitary and co-terminous; in other words, as preferably manufactured of plastic they would be formed in one continuous piece comprising the web 19, and inner and outer flanges 20 and 21. At the inner ends of the sections 15 and 16 are hinges or hinge portions 22 whereby the three supporters may be mutually united, it being understood that the upper and lower hinges generally designated 23 and 24 are on the axis 18, which axis has already been referred to.

The headrest 11 is triangular being provided with a front edge 25 and rear edges 26. Means in the form of eyelets 27 are provided at each corner of the headrest 11 for co-operating with means 28 in the form of upstanding fingers formed in the recesses 29 of the midsections 13 to secure the headrest in position preferably near the lower end of the frame 10. However, by reference to the accompanying FIGURE 1 it will be observed that there are two sets of positions generally designated 30 and 31 for the accommodation of the headrest 11 according to choice.

It will be observed that the hinges as depicted in the accompanying FIGURES 4 through 6 exhibit a slightly difierent configuration as between the portion on the inner end of the basal section of the rearmost skeletal supporter 13 relative to the other two. Such arrangement is purely arbitrary however and a variety of different hinges might be employed as will readily be understood, Without the exercise of further invention.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the frame 10 is in open position, and the supporters 13 in the relative angular relationships shown, that the axis 18 is within all the edges 2s of headrest 11, and that the said axis is closer to the front edge 25 than it is to the rear edges 26. As a result, a toggle is created which puts all three edges in tension, and maintains the supporters in rigid spaced or angular relationship whereby the device or assembly (which is very light in weight) may readily be picked up without disturbance of its open position and moved or adjusted relative to the user 32.

Co-axial with the upper hinge process 23 and projecting thereabove is a socket 33 intended to accommodate either the peripherally located downwardly projecting pin 34 on sunshield 12, or the centrally located pin 35 thereon. When the sunshield 12 is in the position of the accompanying FIGURE 10, obviously it functions as a lightweight table surface, being usually and preferably of translucent plastic or the like material and it is to be understood that the pin 35 will be long enough and the socket 33 deep enough to secure the sunshield in its function as a table, sufficiently securely against wobble for lightweight purposes.

In the accompanying FIGURES 9 and 10 a modification of the arrangements just described is illustrated. In this embodiment the supporters 36 are of round wire and legs 37 are provided, the same being welded to the supporters. In this case the upper and lower hinges 38 and 39 respectively are constituted of collars 40 through which the ends 41 of the supporters extend and are turned over. Thus a very simple hinging arrangement is provided but in all material respects the inventive concept is similar to that which has already been described in detail in relation to the embodiment of FIGURE 1. The headrest 11 in this embodiment is secured to extensions 42 of the said legs.

Since various modifications can be made to the invention herein described within the scope of the inventive concept disclosed, it is not intended that protection of the said invention should be interpreted as restricted to the modification or modifications or known parts of such concept as particularly described, defined, or exemplified, since this disclosure is intended to explain the construction and operation of such concept and is not for the purpose of limiting protection to any specific embodiment or details thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A head and face sunshield assembly for use in the supine position, comprising in combination, a low, foldable frame, a foldable headrest suspended at a plurality of spaced points on its perimeter to said frame near the base thereof, and an adjustable sunshield attachable to the apex of said frame.

2. The sunshield according to claim 1 which is planar and attachable to said frame either substantially centrally of said shield or in the vicinity of its perimeter.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said frame comprises at least three skeletal supporters mutually hinged upon the upper and lower ends of the central vertical frame axis, means in the vicinity of said upper end, and two separate means, one substantially centrally of said shield, and the other in the vicinity of the perimeter of said shield, co-operable for supporting said shield centrally so as either to constitute a table surface for lightweight objects, or else to support said shield perimetrically for adjustment according to the suns position relative to the user lying upon said headrest below said sunshield.

4. A head and face sunshielding assembly for use in supine position, comprising in combination, a low, foldable frame, a foldable headrest, and a sunshield, said frame consisting of three skeletal supporters each embodying a rising midsection, and axially directed apical and basal sections, all said sections having hinges on the inner ends thereof, and being unitary and co-terminous and mutually united at said hinges for rotation into open and folded positions, the hinged connections of said supporters constituting the axis of said frame, said apical sections curving toward said axis, said basal sections being substantially acutely angled toward said axis relative to said midsections, said headrest being triangular, means at the corners of said headrest and on said midsections for suspending said headrest near the base of said frame, said aXis as produced between said hinges, when said frame is open with said headrest suspended between said supporters being within all three edges of said headrest, and nearer to the front edge of said headrest than to the two rear edges, whereby all said edges are maintained in tension, and said supporters held in rigid angular relationship.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 which includes means for attaching said sunshield either centrally or pcripherally to said frame at a point substantially co-incident with its upper axial end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 441,380 11/1890 Ray 2l77 2,888,689 6/1959 Mourot 5114 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

I. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HEAD AND FACE SUNSHIELD ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN THE SUPINE POSITION, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A LOW, FOLDABLE FRAME, A FOLDABLE HEADREST SUSPENDED AT A PLURALITY OF SPACED POINTS ON ITS PERIMETER TO SAID FRAME NEAR THE BASE THEREOF, AND AN ADJUSTABLE SUNSHIELD ATTACHABLE TO THE APEX OF SAID FRAME. 